An @COLLEENCHESEBRO INTERVIEW WITH @READEANDWRITE

Grab a cup of coffee or tea, and come on in and get comfortable. I am excited to share that I have Amy M. Reade, the author of, “Secrets of Hallstead House,” here with us this morning. First, let me share a bit about Amy so that you can get to know her. Amy reveals:

“I am an author of women’s fiction with strong elements of suspense and setting. A former lawyer, I now write in New Jersey. I have a husband and three kids, as well as two cats and a great Bouvier des Flandres (that’s a dog, for those of you who may be unfamiliar).

When I’m not writing, you will find me in the kitchen or the laundry room, but I much prefer the kitchen. I love to cook and share the things I make. I blog about writing and wine at http://amreade.wordpress.com. My website is http://www.amymreade.com.”

As many of you know, I love looking for free books on Amazon. Not to save money, but instead because many times the author is brand new and undiscovered. I love to read debut novels, and that is exactly how I found Amy Reade, through a free download on BookBub. She volunteered to write a guest post for me a few weeks back and I shared with her that I had just started reading her book. One thing led to another and here you have it, my interview with Amy Reade! Click here to read my book review of, “Secrets of Hallstead House.”

Author, Amy M. Reade

Colleen: Amy, please give us the title and genre of your book and a 30-word or less tagline.

Amy:
Secrets of Hallstead House is women’s fiction with a gothic feel to it.

Tagline: After moving to a private island in upstate New York to provide nursing care for an elderly widow, Macy must uncover secrets from her past before they destroy her future.

Colleen: How did you come up with the title of your book?

Amy: The working title was The Leaning Tree, and my editor and I felt the book needed a spookier feel to it. We discussed several options and decided that Secrets of Hallstead House had just the right amount of mystery.

Colleen: Amy, tell us about your cover art. Who designed it? Why did you go with that particular image/artwork?

Amy: The cover art came from the Kensington Art Department. I like it because it contains elements of several of the homes in the Thousand Islands. It also has a darkness to it, and the churning water looks just like the Saint Lawrence River on a stormy day.

Colleen: So, what else have you written?

Amy:
The Ghosts of Peppernell Manor, which is also women’s fiction in a gothic style, was released in April, 2015. It is the story of Carleigh Warner, a restoration specialist who moves from Chicago to South Carolina when she is hired to restore an antebellum manor house, the family home of an old friend. The family disagrees over the future of the property and Carleigh is quickly swept into the tensions, which escalate to violence that threatens Carleigh and her young daughter.

I am also in the edits stage of my third novel, which is in the same genre, this time set on the Island of Hawaii (sometimes called the Big Island). Kailani, a sous chef, leaves Washington, D.C., to return to the Big Island, where she grew up. She lands a job working as a personal chef and is soon called on to deal with more than the job description called for, with a family in desperate turmoil and an unexpected and unwanted visitor from her past. Before long the secrets and the tensions in the home begin to build and Kailani must find the courage to stay and follow her heart.

In addition, I blog most Tuesdays at
http://amreade.wordpress.com.

Colleen: Where can we buy or see your books?

Amy: Readers can find both my books on amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, books.google.com, kensingtonbooks.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca, and kobobooks.com.

Colleen: Please give us an insight into your main character. What does she do that is so special?

Amy: Macy Stoddard, the main character in Secrets of Hallstead House, is quite young when the story begins. She has suffered a personal tragedy that leads her to seek employment away from New York City. She has her own demons to face as she tries to help her patient come to grips with the deaths of her husband and daughter.

Colleen: What are you working on at the minute?

Amy: I’m plotting out a new series right now, and I’m working on the research for that.

Amy, thank you so much for letting us into the workings of your books. I always feel like I get to know an author better after learning more about the motivations behind their work. It has been a pleasure getting to know you.

Don’t forget, I love a good book! Oh yeah, guess what?

Amy loves to connect with readers!

Website: http://www.amymreade.com

Blog: http://amreade.wordpress.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/amreadeauthor